“Wolverton Mountain” Establishes Claude King’s Career

 By Arden Lambert

April 11, 2018
Last Edited November 28, 2019 12:47 pm


 

"Wolverton Mountain" Establishes Claude King's Career 1

Photo credit: MusicStack

Most, if not all, of the great musical artists who already departed, have at least one song for which they’re best remembered. In the case of Claude King, it was the song titled “Wolverton Mountain” that goes along with his name. In fact, the song helped him establish his career as a country singer and songwriter in 1962. His record of this originally Merle Kilgore-penned song topped the country charts and enjoyed the said success for nine weeks. Not only that, the song was also a giant crossover hit having reached top 10 on other music charts. Specifically, the single peaked at No. 6 on the pop chart while it landed at No. 3 on the easy listening chart. That only means that the song was loved by various groups of audiences. It serves as one of the highlights of King’s three-decade recording career.  

Wolverton Mountain: A Story Song

Kilgore‘s real-life uncle named Clifton Clowers served as his inspiration in writing the song. The story revolves around him and the way he protects his daughter from anyone who tries to approach her. The two lives at Wolverton Mountain. Based on the storyline, the narrator expresses his desire to climb the titular mountain for there resides the woman he wants to marry. That lovely lady is no other than the fierce Clowers’ daughter.  At the beginning of the song is a mythical warning not to go on Wolverton Mountain. It’s because the place is guarded by Clowers who is handy with a gun and a knife. Thus, anyone who tries to approach his beautiful daughter will totally be in danger. Moreover, many bears and birds surround the place and send him a signal if anyone attempted to enter. Despite such, the protagonist displayed bravery and decided to climb the risky mountain and defeat Clowers.

Clifton Clowers in Real Life

Clifton T. Clowers was born to Thomas Jefferson Clowers and Mary Price Clowers. He was a veteran of World War I and a deacon in the Mountain View Baptist Church. Most of his life, he lived on a farm located on the north edge of Woolverton Mountain. He died at his home in Clinton, Arkansas on August 15, 1994, at the age of 102. He was laid to rest at the Wolverton Mountain Cemetery. The success of “Wolverton Mountain” immortalized Clowers. On his 100th birthday, King and Kilgore visited him.

Would you dare to climb that Wolverton Mountain too? We would be glad to hear your thoughts or experiences related to the song. Please to do not forget to hit the like button and share the fun with other fans of country music. Here at Country Thang Daily, we strive to bring you a daily dose of cutting-edge entertainment through country music and information. To stay tuned, follow us on Facebook (Country Daily) and Twitter (@thecountrydaily).


Tags

Claude King, Clifton Clowers, Merle Kilgore, Wolverton Mountain


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